This invention relates generally to the field of support frames used to maintain a large, thin-walled, flexible plastic bag, such as a trash or leaf bag, in an open configuration to allow debris and other objects to be easily placed into the bag. More particularly, the invention relates to such devices which are designed to support the bag in an open-mouthed manner both vertically and horizontally, thus allowing leaves and the like to be swept into the bag.
Large, thin-walled plastic bags, typically sized from 30 to 42 or more gallons in capacity, are now the common disposable container used to retain and transport garbage, trash, yard debris, etc. The size of the bags, and the fact that they have no integral support mechanism, makes them difficult to use in many circumstances unless the bag is placed in a container such as a garbage can and the bag mouth stretched around the can perimeter. Where use of the bag with this type of container is not practical, such as when picking up leaves or grass clippings, the user must struggle to maintain the bag mouth open while the debris is loaded, a difficult operation with only one available hand.
To address this problem, a number of self-standing frame devices for plastic bags have been developed. Typically they comprise a wire or PVC tubing frame to receive the bag with legs attached beneath the frame to support the bag in the vertical position. Improved devices allow the frame to be placed sideways on the ground so that the opening is perpendicular to the ground surface, thus making it easier to rake or sweep debris into the bag, sometimes providing a handle to allow the user to control the position of the frame without undue bending. The better versions also provide pivoting connections for the legs and handles so that the device can be folded into a generally flattened configuration for storage. Representative examples of such devices can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 5,570,862 to Nugent, U.S. Pat. No. 5,413,394 to Mitchell, U.S. Pat. No. 5,411,229 to Hoefkes, U.S. Pat. No. 5,180,126 to Bennett, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,040,754 to Dearman. Mitchell and Bennett show bag holders made of PVC tubing with pivotable handles which allow the user to control the device in the horizontal or sideways position, but lack the additional leg members to support the bag in the upright position, requiring that the frame be leaned against another object to support the bag vertically. Bennett shows a rectangular frame opening and Mitchell shows a D-shaped opening. Dearman shows a complicated wheeled device with a permanent container for the bag having a pivoting leg/handle and two other legs, allowing the device to be used in either the upright or sideways position, where the frame opening has a pentagonal configuration. Nugent shows a simple version having a D-shaped opening and using thin rods as legs which are pushed into the ground to support the frame. All of these patents incorporate additional means to secure the bag to the frame. Nugent uses a pair of D-shaped rods to enclose the bag lip, Dearman mechanically clamps the bag, Mitchell provides a clip on the handle to secure the bag, and Bennett attaches the handle over the bag to secure it.
It is an object of this invention to provide a flexible plastic bag support frame which is an improved design over the known support frames, in that the frame opening is composed of six polygonal segments defining a generally D-shaped opening, with the top frame member being significantly shorter than the base frame member, and having a pivotable leg/handle member attached to the top member, where the design provides a pair of corners adjacent the attachment point of the leg/handle member to better secure the bag to the frame when the leg/handle is pivoted to a position perpendicular to the other leg members without the need for additional securing members, mechanical fasteners, clips or the like. It is a further object to provide such device with a detachable pivoting cover or lid member, the lid configured to match the configuration of the opening and attached by a pair of C-shaped resilient clips.